The festivity the Brits celebrate as Bonfire Night with huge fireworks and bonfires all weekend started because the ruling king didn’t die in 1605. It’s a juicy story. Let’s go back in time, shall we?

The Catholics were rightfully upset at the Protestants for kicking them out of power and taking over the monarchy for several decades. So, Robert Catesby led the Gunpowder Plot to assassinate the ruling King James and his heir. Everything seemed to be going splendidly with loads of gunpowder amassed beneath the House of Parliament. All the important people like the king and his nine-year old daughter Elizabeth would be in the House of Lords on 5 November. The inferno would kill the current ruling class and foil its attempt to pass power from King James to the future Queen Elizabeth in a ceremony.

However, a Catholic who served in the House of Lords received an “anonymous” letter fearing for his life. Rumor has it that a fellow Catholic sent William Parker, 4th Baron Monteagle, the letter as a warning. Another rumor states that Parker actually wanted to gain favour with the current monarchy by stopping the plot to kill the king. Too late to ask him now!

Parker figured out what the letter tried to say (assassination plot, explosion reducing the building to ruins), told Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, who then told the king. On 4 November, Parker joined the crew of people who searched the basement of parliament where they found Guy Fawkes standing guard over enough gunpowder and explosives to put on quite a show when the fuse was lit. They arrested Fawkes and cleared out the explosives and gunpowder. The transfer of power from King James to Elizbeth happened just as planned.

What can you look forward to celebrating tonight in the United Kingdom? Bonfires, fireworks, toffee apples, and sparklers. Sometimes people dress up in period costumes from around 1605. Plan on celebrations continuing through the weekend as well.

Do Americans celebrate Bonfire Night? The short answer is “not to the capacity the Brits do, if at all.”

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